Sharpshooter will reduce Saw Creek deer herd

A sharpshooter will thin the deer herd at Saw Creek Estates Community Association in Lehman Township, despite opposition from some of its of 3,000 property owners.

BETH BRELJE

A sharpshooter will thin the deer herd at Saw Creek Estates Community Association in Lehman Township, despite opposition from some of its of 3,000 property owners.

A 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture said that with 265 deer per square mile, the overpopulation in Saw Creek had caused deer in the development to be in the worst condition that federal biologists had seen in Pennsylvania.

Since the report came out, the community has considered the controversial use of a sharpshooter. In 2010, the issue was put on hold while the community worked harder at enforcing its ban on residents randomly feeding deer.

A new count, done by the USDA in December, estimated 226 deer per square mile, still well overpopulated.

Now the Saw Creek board of directors has approved the plan to thin the herd, based on more than three years of study by wildlife biologists and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the community owners said in a press release.

Some residents disagree. "I don't feel it is an (overpopulation) issue. Many of the deer grew up here. They are tame. And you're going to go out and pick them off?" Pat Hammond said.

After a review of alternatives, it was determined that the only legal, safe and effective means of reducing the herd is through a controlled hunt, a notice for Saw Creek residents says. The hunt will be conducted in the next 90 days by just one expert USDA shooter accompanied by a driver and spotter. They will not be operating near houses. It is uncertain how many deer will be shot, but it will likely be around 200, depending on weather and herd activity, Saw Creek General Manager Dave Martin said.

The board agreed to budget $60,000 a year for three years for the operation.

"I expect the actual cost in Year 1 to be much closer to about $35,000," Martin said. "Total costs in Year 2 and 3 are expected to be about the same or slightly less.

"The cost is expected decline in subsequent years to as little as $3,000-$5,000 for ongoing surveys and periodic maintenance culls, or no cull at all in some years, once we reach a normal and sustainable population level."

All deer taken during the hunt will be professionally processed and packaged for consumption and then donated to Bushkill Outreach to help needy families in Saw Creek Estates and the surrounding area.

"The issue at hand is not about whitetail deer alone, but is primarily about helping to restore the natural balance of plant and animal species within the forest ecosystem," Martin said. "Decades of over-browsing by a single species has destroyed the habitat of many other species. Literally scores of low-growing plants, shrubs, wildflowers and berries have vanished from our forest floor, along with the many species of ground dwelling birds and animals which normally depend on those plants for food and shelter."

The community held open meetings and educational outreach to residents and discussions with environmentalists and representatives of other communities that have approved similar deer management programs.

But Hammond says the deer cull should not be left to the board of directors. Instead, she says it should be put to a community vote. She is collecting signatures from other residents to ask for a vote.

"All we need is 200 signatures. The board thinks they know what is best for the community, and they are not listening to the majority," Hammond said. "I don't think this is right."

The board of directors recognizes that this remains a controversial subject. It heard comments from residents opposed to the plan during an open session meeting Saturday prior to voting to approve the hunt. Following the vote, the board also directed that steps be taken to provide residents with as much information as possible, the press release said.

"A small, but vocal minority of residents is actively seeking to put the matter to a vote of the membership, but Saw Creek's bylaws do not require a vote of the membership on such issues," Martin said. "The board felt it had a duty to act, and that a clear majority of members support the program, which will provide long-term benefits to all plant and animal species, including the whitetail deer."

Hammond and others planned to be at the Saw Creek gates Wednesday collecting more petition signatures.

Saw Creek residents may check the website, sawcreek.org, or send comments to wildlife@sawcreek.org or call 570-588-9336 for information.